Ikenga- Episode 5
Theme: (The Demon I Saw)
By Praise Chidera Obiora
A flash of lightning followed almost immediately, causing thick darkness. The eyes of the tiny
scorpions flashed like lighted t©uçhes running in my direction. I turned and ran as fast as I could. I
searched with my eyes for the nearest tree I could climb. I turned to my left and sighted the Kola
nut tree I had pas-sed earlier on. My only hope of survival depended on that tree. It was the only
hiding place I had.
Six tiny scorpions which had successfully climbe-d my cloths, landed random stings on my back
and ears. I shouted in terror and winced in great pain. With my hands, I dusted them off my cloths
and increa-sed my steps fas-ter towards the Kola nut tree.
I was running and p@n-ting in great fear. I ran like a man chased by ten lions. The fearful sight of
the scorpions had increa-sed my adrenaline. My legs quic-kened as I ran like a horse.
Little had I gotten to the tree when I lifted my legs and jumped like an aragutan on one of the
br@nches of Kola nut tree.
The br@nch I had stepped foot on, made a creaking sound. I gr@bb£d on to another which was
above my head and held on to it. I watched from above as the tiny scorpions lifted their tails and
clasped their hungry claws in disappointment.
I felt their rage. The creaking sound from their incessant clasping of their claws, sounded like the
raining of Ice blocks on a metal zinc. I used the palm of my hands to close my both ears as the
noice bec@m£ louder. I tried to find a perfect br@nch to place my both legs, while I kept a stern eye
on the hungry creatures.
With the way I stared at them, it felt to me like I could see every single one of them. They didn’t
make an attempt to climb the tree. I really did not know if they could even climb the tree.
It felt like the gathering of soldiers. They had surrounded the whole tree and made the floor look
like a carpet of scorpions.
I heaved a sigh and sat down on one of the thick br@nches. Immediately, I remembered the tree
with the seven headed snakes. I remembered how it had slowly turned soft while I leaned on it. I
used my hands to feel the kola nut tree just to make sure it was still ha-rd and was not turning into
yet another snake.
In my heart, I silently prayed that the tree remained as it were. I prayed that it was just an ordinary
kolanut tree, and not another tra-p set by the gods.
“Let all this be a dream. Let me be dreaming.” I prayed as I looked down at the creatures.
I lifted my eyes to find the biggest of them all- it was the first tiny scorpion I had seen- the very
first scorpion that had grown into a giant scorpion.
It seemed to have been the mother of all the other tiny scorpions that surrounded the tree. This
creature was two times bigger than the kolanut tree l was resting on.
My fear aro-se again. I watched keenly as it approached slowly. It looked like one which was not in
a hurry to hunt me. It walked like a king and didn’t run like the rest of the other scorpions.
Aside the red set of ton-gue in the claws of this creature, I saw the tail erupt with h0t fire that shined
from the distance. It had horns which was planted at its jaws like an elephant. I saw its its eyes shine brighter than the tiny scorpions. It approached the tree and stood still. I noticed its ten giant
legs stand firm like that of an iroko tree.
It sniffed with its nose like a woman who had received red roses from her husband. I felt its breath
b!ow the leaves of the kolanut tree. The creature sneezed and the tiny scorpions scampered
behind it in fear. The tree bent backwards and my hands sli-pped of the br@nch I was holding on to.
I screamed and quic-kly gr@bb£d on to another br@nch. This time, I held it ti-ghtly with my both
hands. The giant scorpion sneezed a second time causing the tree to curve backwards once
more.
Just like an explosion of gunpowder, a loud sound reverbr@ted in my ears. I turned towards the
creature to find its b©dy crashed to the floor, with its ten legs wi-dely spre-ad open. The creature
seemed to have fallen asleep or probably coll@psed.
Its fall raised dust which filled the air like smoke. The clouds covering the bright sun melted, giving
way to the bright sun. The thick darkeness disappeared instantly. The sun flashed its light upon
my face. The tiny scorpions had mysteriously disappeared with the dust.
I watched with my both eyes as the fire from the tail of the giant scorpion, spre-ad and consumed
its own b©dy. The giant scorpion turned into ashes and was b!own away into thin air.
I jumped down from the Kola nut tree happily. On the floor, I could see kolanuts which had fallen
down from the tree during the giant sneeze of the creature. I bent down and picked just a single
piece of Kolanut.
“You must be a lucky child. You are very lucky to have escaped the Second demon s£nt to you.”
Amara voice echoed in my ears.
I quic-kly buried the kolanuts in my pockets and turned in search of her.
“Where are you? Why can’t I see your face any more? Why are you hiding from me?” I asked.
Amara let out a great laugh.
“Ikengaaa… Only those who eat the sweet red Igbuala mango are capable of seeing what the
gods see. The powers from the Igbuala mangoes are fading off from your eyes Ikenga.”
“What do you mean by that?”
“You threw away your mangoes Ikenga. Without the red Igbuala mangoes, you will not be able to
see me. And that means you will not be able to see the five demons that await you. Poor Ikenga,
you shall die a miserable death now.”
“But my grandmother never mentioned anything about the powers from the Igbula mangoes fading
off. Why did mine fade off. Why didn’t Ijeoma eyes not fade off when she ate hers.”
“You mean the god mother of beauty?”
“Yes.”
“My mother Ijeoma had been feeding on the red Igbuala mangoes for a very long time Ikenga. She
slowly metamorphosed into a god after consuming so many red Igbuala mangoes in nine months.”
“In your own case, this is the first time of you eating the Igbuala mangoes. You shall only be able
to see two set of demons per mango.”
I quic-kly thought about the three red Igbuala mangoes I had thrown in the bush. I calculated
carefully. The three red Igbuala mangoes were enough for me to see the five demons that awaited
me.
Ijeoma was right. Without the red Igbuala mangoes, I stood no chance. I was going to look like a
blind warrior going to war with men who can see clearly with both eyes. I was actually going to die
a miserable death.
I quic-kly turned and ran back. I was heading for the three mangoes. I was heading back to pick the
only thing that guaranteed my spiritual eyes to see the demons.
As I ran fast like a wounded lion, I prayed fervently in my heart that the mangoes were still going to
be there by the time I arrive.
Ikenga- Episode 6
Theme: (The Demon I Saw)
By Praise Chidera Obiora
“Where do you think you are going to?” Amara echoed loudly in my ears.
“I am going to pick my three Igbuala mangoes I left on the floor in the bush.”
“I thought you promised not to eat the mangoes again? I thought you had thrown them away? Why
then have you chos£n to go back for them?”
I halted and carried my hands on my w@!st. I was exhausted and now very thirsty. I bent down
supporting myself with my hands placed on my l@ps. I struggled to catch my breath as I spat
several times on the floor.
“But you told me without the red Igbula mangoes, I stood no chance against the remaining five
demons. Or did you lie to me.?”
“I am a god and the gods do not lie Ikenga. I told you the truth. Without the red Igbuala mangoes,
you cannot see any other spirits. You are back to being a human. And if you cannot see any other
spirit, you will not know what hit you. You will die miserably.”
“Is that why people die mysteriously. Is it the demons that kills them?” I asked.
“For some, yes. The gods kill them using the spirit demons. For some, the gods have no hands in
their death. They die a normal death. They live their normal lives and when their b©dy is tired, their
spirit leaves to the home of the gods. Others die at the appointed time the gods had provided for
them to die.”
I quic-kly remembered the death of Ajudibike- Eze Patala’s first son. He was a youth- a young boy
of 17years old. He had testified to have felt tiny stings on his b©dy before his death. I remembered
how he la-id on the floor in his compound screaming. He complained bitterly about strange bites.
Grandma and I were just returning from the market when we saw the hvge crowd gather in the
compound of Eze Patala. We also wanted to know what was happening and st©pped by to see.
When we walked into the compound, we sighted Ajudibike sitting on the floor with just a bo-xer on
his w@!st. He was vibr@ting like a slaughtered local chicken.
So many people tried to hold him. Some gathered to fan him with their mats. The women who had
surrounded him began to pray to the gods on his behalf. Some of the women who could not pray,
pu-ll-ed their wra-ppers and joined in fanning Ajudibike. We all prayed to the gods that Ajudibike does not die.
But that same day at sunset, when the c0ckhad crowed four times, Ajudibike died a painful death.
He kept coughing out thick blood from his mouth. Red blood ran throu-gh his nose and ears. So
many people thought Ajudibike was poisoned. Some others had thought he had a strange illness
that took his life. But yet every one believed that the gods had a reason why they had allowed the
death of Ajudibike to take place.
“Was it a demon that killed Ajudibike?” I asked inquisitively.
“Yes. The gods permitted the Efuzuala scorpions to sting him to death.”
“The same scorpions I faced moments back?”
“Yes. The same scorpions. Ajudibike had stollen hvge tubers of yams from the farmland of Ibesi,
the poor widow who had just lost her husband to the painful hands of death- a poor widow with no
other source of livelihood except the small yam plantation her husband had left her.”
“She went to her farmland and discovered her yams were missing. Ibesi cried out to the gods
bitterly. She directed her cries to Ibuzulu the god of vengeance and justice. Agundaobi was
t©uçhed by her tears too. Together they s£nt the Efuzuala scorpions to avenge her tears.”
“Ikenga, no cry reaches the ears of the gods fas-ter than a woman’s tears. When a woman prays
for you to succeed, the gods answers her prayers. When she curses you, the gods answers her
too. But when her cries is accompanied with a bitter tear, the gods answers with swift action.”
“Why did the big Efuzuala scorpion sneeze and die so quic-kly? Why did it fall to the floor without
me tou-ching it?”
“You found shelter in the hands of the Kolanut tree. The kola nut tree is the tree of life. It is death
to any demon creature that nears it. The mother demon sniffed the smell of the kolanut tree and
fell flat to the floor. She died with every one of her creatures. You were just lucky Ikenga.”
“But why can’t Agundaobi let me go hence I am still just a human? The mangoes have faded off
from my eyes. Why is he s£nding strange creatures to me. Why? Why does he wants to kill me.” I
asked with a soa-ked eye and a beating heart.
“You are paying for your disobe-dience Ikenga. You have annoyed the gods. Agundaobi will not
st©p unless you face your punishments for eating from the sacred fruits of his wife.”
“You should be grateful. No one has ever gone pas-s the first demon. No one. But you have
defeated two. There is something special about you Ikenga. But you will not go too far. every creature you face, becomes even more stronger and more dangerous”
“Your next demon shall find you soon. And without the Igbuala mangoes, you shall not see them.
And then, your death shall be swift and quic-k.”
I took to my heels as fast as possible. I ran with all the strength I had with me. As I arrived at the
sp©t I had thrown the three red Igbuala mangoes, I saw the white rabbit I had seen earlier on.
It was devouring one of the red mangoes with all the plea-sure and delight in the world. It was just
about eating the next, when I picked the stone I had kicked earlier on, and flung it with all my
might. The white rabbit withdrew back and suddenly disappeared into thin air as the stone landed
on the floor.
I ran and quic-kly gr@bb£d unto the two red Igbuala mangoes and took a quic-k bite. I su-cked the
sweet red jui-ce and li-cked my ton-gue like a dog who had finished a bowl of delicious portage. I
di-pped the last Igbuala mangoes in my pocket and turned round in search of Amara.
“Amara where are you? Show me your face.” I shouted.
To be continued…